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Our Team

Don Kuhl

Founder & CEO

Don Kuhl

Founder & CEO

Don founded The Change Companies® in 1988. Since founding this company, Don has worked with approximately 150 agencies and corporations to tailor Interactive Journals to serve unique populations. His collaborative efforts in Substance Use, Justice Services, Impaired Driving, Healthcare and Education have consistently focused on helping individuals begin the process of positive personal change.

Earlier in his career, Don worked in many industries including hotel management, publishing, higher education administration and healthcare business development. Along the way, he created numerous companies, experiencing both successes and failures. He has his M.S. degree from Iowa State University.

Don is most proud and appreciative of the outstanding employees who have shaped The Change Companies® for over two decades.

Sherry Newsom

CEO

Sherry Newsom

CEO

As Owner, Sherry has led The Change Companies® from a small, regional publishing shop to a major corporation serving 4,000 clients in all
50 states. During her tenure, Sherry has created a unique process for sophisticated telephone sales, established an error-free system for shipping and developed an employee training, evaluation and compensation program that motivates and guides all staff members.

Alyssa Forcehimes, PhD

President

Alyssa Forcehimes, PhD

President

Alyssa received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of New Mexico. Prior to joining TCC, she was on the faculty of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Primarily interested in the psychology of change, she has served as an investigator on numerous NIH-funded grants examining best practices in implementing evidence-based approaches in real-world settings. Much of Alyssa's work centers on motivational interviewing, a collaborative and empathic communication style that helps strengthen a person’s own motivation and commitment to change. Alyssa has an outstanding national reputation in best practices for implementation of behavioral change strategies with diverse populations and in diverse settings.

Bill Calhoun

Vice President of Business Development

Bill Calhoun

Vice President of Business Development

For the past decade, Bill has trained and mentored the sales and customer
support team that serves The Change Companies®' nationwide client
base. Bill provides service to hundreds of program directors, facilitators and
industry leaders in addiction treatment, criminal justice, impaired driving,
youth prevention and intervention and health improvement. His practical knowledge
of The Change Companies®' products and services helps providers in
each of our markets make correct programming decisions.

Scott Covert

Vice President of Early Intervention Services

Scott Covert

Vice President of Early Intervention Services

In his role, Scott oversees training for clients of The Change Companies®. His responsibilities include providing on-site and off-site training for key clients, specifically
"train the trainer" coaching and implementation of Interactive Journaling®. Scott has comprehensive knowledge of The Change Companies®' products and curricula. An excellent communicator, Scott specializes in teaching and leading groups using his strong
presentation and facilitation skills. He also is certified in training design
from the Bob Pike Group.

Lisa Winge

Vice President of Account Services

Lisa Winge

Vice President of Account Services

In the time Lisa has been with The Change Companies®, she's used her sense of humor to put clients at ease and always has a laugh to share. In her spare time Lisa likes gardening, reading, journaling or letting loose on her motorcycle. If you happen to get hit with a ball at The Change Companies®, chances are Lisa threw it.

Cyntha Pennington

Vice President of Sales

Cyntha Pennington

Vice President of Sales

Cyntha spent her first year and a half at The Change Companies® as a Regional Sales Director. Now, as Vice President of Sales, Cyntha is an expert at making clients happy. She likes gardening, camping, and building stuff. Weird fact: she has a mushroom collection in pictures.

Susan Peterson

Senior Editor

Susan Peterson

Senior Editor

Susan serves as as Senior Editor of The Change Companies®. Throughout her more than 20 years with the company, she has developed a passion and level of expertise in curricula for impaired driving and offender populations. One of her primary roles is to work with state contacts to develop, update and edit tailored impaired driving program materials.

A Michigan native, Susan is a devoted Detroit sports fan and University of Michigan enthusiast, both of which can be very trying at times!

Jill Tharpe

Regional Sales Director

Jill Tharpe

Regional Sales Director

Jill started at The Change Companies® in 2009 working for Lifestyle Center of America, and is now a Regional Sales Director of 9 states and The Salvation Army. Prior to her work with The Change Companies®, Jill owned and operated a multi-site retail health and wellness business, and took personal responsibility for staff training and development. In her spare time, Jill enjoys spending time with her daughter, Madisyn.

Shawn Miller

Director of IT

Shawn Miller

Director of IT

Shawn joined The Change Companies® in 2016 after completing his studies in Computer Science. His love for technology and keeping up on all of the latest programs and gadgets helps to ensure that the company systems are always running smoothly. A native Nevadan, Shawn enjoys working on his new home and spending time with his family, especially on Taco Tuesdays!

Troy Gardner

Web Developer

Troy Gardner

Web Developer

With over 30 years of experience, Troy has worked in most aspects of technology, spending the last 20 years in web development. His firm belief in the ability for people to make positive changes in their lives brought him to The Change Companies. Troy has been a member of the Reno Rodeo Association for 25 years and, as a 5th generation Nevadan, enjoys sharing his Western heritage with others. He also enjoys exploring new destinations with his family.

Toni Tomei

Account Services

Toni Tomei

Account Services

With an eclectic work background ranging from professional theatre to advertising, to marketing, to sales, to teaching, Toni is happy to be a member of The Change Companies®’ team. Bringing a creative spin to her day-to-day activities, in her off hours Toni enjoys traveling with her husband, gardening, cooking, antique hunting and going to the theatre. She has a healthy collection of teapots, music boxes and artwork.

John Livesay

Warehouse Manager

John Livesay

Warehouse Manager

John's background in warehouse management brought him to The Change Companies® over a decade ago. He oversees the shipment of over a million Interactive Journals a year to clients across the country, and is proud of his role in contributing to our important mission of positive behavioral change. John's favorite after-work pastime is going fishing with his wife.

Sara Oroz

Creative Director

Sara Oroz

Creative Director

Sara graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Graphic Design. Her favorite thing about working at The Change Companies® is that she gets to design things that are going to make a difference in people’s lives. In her spare time, she enjoys fly fishing, golfing and wakesurfing!

Valerie Bagley

Director of Product Development

Valerie Bagley

Director of Product Development

Valerie is motivated by work that makes a difference. After spending seven years developing social-emotional and resilience programs for K-12 youth, she joined The Change Companies® as product and marketing specialist. When she’s not brainstorming creative ways to enhance the experience of our customers, she’s having dance parties with her two adorable toddlers.

Holly Zynda

Multimedia Director and Product Editor

Holly Zynda

Multimedia Director and Product Editor

Holly has spent more than a decade as a writer and editor working for major names, from the California Environmental Protection Agency and Cognella Academic Publishing to Kaiser Permanente and GoPro. She has also served as a photographer for Shutterstock and has since brought this interest, along with her writing and editing experience, to her role with The Change Companies®. When not contributing her creative skills to The Change Companies®, Holly enjoys snowboarding, paddleboarding and hiking in South Lake Tahoe.

Margaret Broyles

Regional Sales Director

Margaret Broyles

Regional Sales Director

With a BS in Economics from SMU, some time studying and teaching in South Korea and ten years of passionate sales experience, Margaret is now pursuing her sales career at The Change Companies®. Margaret hopes to inspire others to see the beauty in the world through her Yoga teaching and her innovative jewelry art. At The Change Companies, she strives to help others live the best life they can.

Mary O’Brien

Regional Sales Director

Mary O’Brien

Regional Sales Director

Mary’s career journey has lead to many interesting adventures including owning her own businesses, leading nonprofits and training nonprofits in fundraising and management. Passion for helping others while making an impact in solving community problems motivates Mary. She is surrounded by a large extended family and friends that gathers frequently to celebrate and enjoy time together. Mary loves that The Change Companies® works to create lasting success.

Jesse Tillotson

National Director of Justice Services

Jesse Tillotson

National Director of Justice Services

Jesse is passionate about behavior change. Prior to joining The Change Companies, he spent the previous eight years helping people navigate life changes at a college. Having completed his MBA, he decided it was time for a change, and what better place than here! It is Jesse’s mission to contribute to The Change Companies’ ongoing success in providing correctional programming nationwide. In his spare time, Jesse enjoys reading historical fiction and spending time with his family.

Christina McCord

Regional Sales Director

Christina McCord

Regional Sales Director

Christina garnered a solid background for her career in human resources, sales and marketing. She also served as a compliance specialist for four years. Here at The Change Companies®, she is happy to be part of a team of individuals that is so passionate about helping others and making a positive difference in the world! In her free time, Christina likes to travel and enjoys camping and attending motorcycle racing events.

Craig Phillips

Regional Sales Director

Craig Phillips

Regional Sales Director

Craig’s journey to sales leadership and his passion for personal change and growth led him to The Change Companies®, where he has had the privilege of sharing the process of change with others. When he’s not playing at the ping-pong table, Craig enjoys spending leisure time with his family, planning his next travel adventure or getting lost in a book.

Carmen Frazier

Regional Sales Director

Carmen Frazier

Regional Sales Director

Carmen is an old soul! Raised by the golden rule to “treat each other like you would like to be treated,” Carmen is a caring individual by nature. Her passion to help others brought her to The Change Companies®, where her goal is to help individuals one call at a time. The Change Companies® is just not a job for Carmen; it is a lifestyle, a movement and a magical place that she wanted to be part of.

Jessica Deal

Regional Sales Director

Jessica Deal

Regional Sales Director

Prior to the past five years in sales with Tesla Energy, Jessica spent seven years in federal service with the Department of Homeland Security. Raised in Reno, Nevada, and graduating with a BA in Criminal Justice from The University of Nevada, Reno, Jessica is thrilled to return to her hometown and join The Change Companies®' amazing team, helping transition clients toward positive life change. Outside of work, she can be found rollerblading, swimming or anything involving the outdoors and her rescue dog, Marty.

Lisa Campbell

Regional Sales Director

Lisa Campbell

Regional Sales Director

Lisa comes to The Change Companies® after spending the last six years as a health care administrator in long-term care specializing in Alzheimer’s. Prior to that she spent many years in food service sales. Outside of work, Lisa has a passion for our senior population and spends her free time working with Nevada Assisted Living Association advocating for people in assisted living and those with Alzheimer’s disease. She also loves spending time with her Old English Sheepdog Bajanka, one of the oldest of its breed on record.

Rocco Pelino

Regional Sales Director

Rocco Pelino

Regional Sales Director

Rocco moved to Northern Nevada in 1978 from Pittsburgh. A 30-year sales professional and family man, he enjoys going to the gym and playing softball and golf. He has a son, a new grandson and a daughter who is attending the University of Nevada. He admires her hard work and dedication—the same hard work and dedication he sees from his teammates at The Change Companies®. He knew from the first time he walked into the office that this was where he wanted his career direction to take him.

Jose Diaz

Maintenance

Jose Diaz

Maintenance

Jose has worked for The Change Companies® for eight years, doing a variety of warehouse jobs, including order pulling, bulk packaging and shipping and receiving. His favorite part of The Change Companies® is the company culture and his employers. In his spare time, Jose enjoys bowling and quad riding.

Kenny Smith

Order Fulfillment

Kenny Smith

Order Fulfillment

Kenny has been with The Change Companies® for over 15 years, and plays many roles in the company's large warehouse. He believes The Change Companies® is the "best place to work in Carson City." In his spare time, Kenny can be found fishing, doing landscape work around his home or spending time with his three dogs.

Jimmy Cabada

Order Fulfillment

Jimmy Cabada

Order Fulfillment

In his role at the warehouse, Jimmy prepares orders. His favorite part of The Change Companies® has been the welcoming, friendly people. He can see himself working here for many years. When not working, Jimmy enjoys spending time with his daughter and likes to play soccer, which he has played since he was a child, in addition to coaching his nieces’ teams. He also closely follows the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Kevin 'Kip' Lowe, PhD

Training Consultant

Kevin 'Kip' Lowe, PhD

Training Consultant

Kip provides oversight of training development delivery and consultation. He is a nationally recognized expert in adult learning and has presented workshops on training techniques in several states. In his 28 years of state service, Kip served as Chief of the Office of Victim and Survivor Services, Deputy Director for the Office of Prevention and Victim Services and Assistant Deputy Director for the Institutions and Camps Branch for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

This is a team full of warm, hard-working and talented individuals, driven by our shared mission of
promoting positive behavior change. The rewarding work we do, combined with great people, a fun culture and an art-rich work environment, make it
easy (exciting even!) to get out of bed each morning.